Economizer



y 1931- H. J. KERR 1,804,939

ECONOMIZER Filed May 16, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l N INVENTORM f /MW ATTORNEYS May 12, 1931 Q g a Fig- 2 H. J. KERR ECONOMIZER Filed May 16. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS May 12, 1931. H. J. KE-RR 1,804,939

ECONOMIZER Filed May 16, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet s ZZZWMWZWZQ Patented May 12, 1931 u iT o STATES PATENT OFFICE] HOWARD J. KERR, F WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO THE BABCOGK &; WILCOX COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY EGONOMIZER Application filed May 16, 1929. Serial No. 363,644.

My invention more particularly relates to an economizer having tubes extending back and forth across a flue.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of an economizer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modification; Fig. 3 is an end View, partially broken away, taken along'the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view,

partially broken away, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 3, 10 is a flue in which is located practically all of the heating surface of an economizer, indicated generally at 11, and the tubular elements 12 of '20 which are bent at their ends and extend back and forth across the flue 10 in a plurality of rows.

The ends of the economizer are enclosed by a casing comprising panel plates 13 and 14 at the respective ends of the economizer, and which are supported in a usual manner. The inlet header is indicated at 15, and the outlet header at 16. Preferably, the bent ends of the tubes are separate members which are connected to the straight portions of the tubes which extend back and forth across the flue by special fittings 17, the construction of which is more fully illustrated in an application of James E. Trainer and Ivar L. Langvand, Serial No. 245,970, which was filed in the Patent Ofiice on or about January 11, 1928, and which need not be more fully described. Plates 18 and 19 extend upwardly from supporting I-beams 181 and 191 across the tubes and form the end walls of the flue.

Tubes 1210f an intermediate row are connected to the header 15, and from their opposite end the water flows upwardly from the tubes 121 successively through the next higher rows of tubes of the uppermost row 122, from which it flows downwardly through connections 20 to the tubes of the row 123 which is next below said row of tubes 121, and thence 50 the water flows back and forth from row to row in a genrally downward direction to the lowermost row 124 the tubes of which are connected to the outlet headers 16 by bent por tions 21.

The headers are preferably located between one of the panel plates 18 and the casing 13 illustrated in Fig. 1. The intermediate portions of the tubes are preferably supported by transverse bars or members 22 which extend beneath the tubes of the respective rows, and the ends of which are supported by fixed members in a manner not illustrated in the drawings.

In case steam is formed in the economizer during a layover period, there would be a water hammer should the entire economizer be arranged in the same way as the lower section, and the water fed into the uppermost row of tubes containing steam. By feeding water into the lowermost of the upper section of the eoonomizer, water hammer is avoided, even when steam is formed in the economizer.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, two outlet headers 16 75 are arranged at opposite ends of the economizer. It will be understood that the tubes 121 of the intermediate row, which are connected to the inlet headers 15 at the opposite ends of the economizer, alternate with each other, and the water flows upwardly from the tubes of this row successively through tubes of the next higher row to the tubes 122 of the uppermost row in the same manner as described in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

I have applied to the parts in Fig. 2, which are similar to those in Fig. 1, the same reference characters with the letter a appended, and the construction and operation thereof will readily be understood from the foregoing description of Fig. 1.

By providing upper and lower headers at both ends of the economizer as illustrated in Fig. 2, the center to center distances between the tubes entering the headers is twice the center to center distances where all of the tubes enter a single upper and a single lower header as illustrated in Fig. 1. Furthermore, causing the water to enter the alternate tubes of a given row at opposite ends of the economizer, results in a more even coolin of the gases which are flowing over the tu es than would be the case if all of the water entered the tubes at the same end, and this in turn tends to minimize the lamination or laning of the gases in their flow over the economizer.

I claim 1. In an economizer, a gas flue in which the gases flow upwardly, economizer tubes extending back and forth across said flue, means for conducting feed water to first intermediate tubes of said economizer from which it flows upwardly to the uppermost tubes thereof, connections for causing the water to flow downwardly from said uppermost tubes to second intermediate tubes next below said first intermediate tubes, from which said second intermediate tubes the water flows downwardly from tubes at one level to tubes at the next lower level until it reaches the lowermost tubes of said economizer.

2. In an economizer, a gas flue in which the gases flow upwardly, economizer tubes extending in rows back and forth across said flue, means for conducting feed water to a first intermediate row of tubes of said economizer from which it flows upwardly to the uppermost row of tubes thereof, connections for causing the water to flow downwardly from said uppermost row of tubes to a second intermediate row of tubes next below said first intermediate row, from which said second intermediate row of tubes the water flows downwardly from tubes at one level to tubes at the next lower level until it reaches the lowermost row of tubes of said economizer.

3. In an economizer, a gas flue in which the gases flow upwardly, economizer tubes extending in rows back and forth across said flue, an inlet header communicating with an intermediate row of tubes of said economizer from which the water flows upwardly to the uppermost row of tubes thereof, connections for causing the water to flow downwardly from said uppermost row of tubes to a second intermediate row of tubes next below said first intermediate tubes, from which said second intermediate tubes the water flows downwardly from tubes at one level to tubes at the next lower level until it reaches the lowermost row of tubes of said economizer.

4. In an economizer, a gas flue in which the gases flow upwardly, an upper inlet water header and a lower outlet water header extending transversely of said flue, continuous tubular members connected at their ends to said headers and extending back and forth across said flue in a plurality of rows, the' upper header being connected to the tubes of an intermediate row from which the water flows upwardly through a plurality of successive rows to the uppermost row of tubes, connections leading from said uppermost row of tubes to the tubes of the row next below said intermediate row from which the -water then'flows downwardly from row to row to the outlet header.

5. In an economizer, a gas flue in which the gases flow upwardly, an upper inlet water header and a lower outlet water header extending transversely of said flue, continuous tubular members connected at their ends to said headers and extending back and forth acrosssaid flue in a plurality of rows, the upper header being connected to the tubes of an intermediate row from which the water flows upwardly through a plurality of successive rows to the uppermost row of tubes, connections leading from said uppermost row of tubes to the tubes of the row next below said intermediate row from which the water then flows downwardly from row to row to the outlet header, said intermediate row of tubes and the tubes located above the same' forming a single trap for the water in its flow from the inlet header to the outlet header.

6. In an economizer, a gas flue in which the gases flow upwardly, an upper inlet water header and a lower outlet water header extending transversely of said flue, continuous tubular members connected at their ends to said headers and extending back and forth across said flue in a plurality of rows, the upper header being connected to the. tubes of an intermediate row from which the water flows upwardly through a plurality of successive rows to the uppermost row of tubes, connections leading from said uppermost row of tubes. to the tubes of the row next below said intermediate row from which the water then flows downwardly from row to row to the outlet header, said intermediate row of tubes and the tubes located above the same forming a single trap for the water in its flow from the inlet header to the outlet header, and the section of the economizer below said intermediate row comprising more rows of tubes than the upper section including said intermediate row. v

7. In an economizer, a gas flue in which the gases flow upwardly, an upper and a lower header located at each end of the economizer and extending transversely of said flue, rows of continuous tubular members bent at the ends of the economizer and extending back and forth across said flue, alternate tubes of said rows being connected to the upper and lower headers on opposite sides of said flue, the upper header being connected to the tubes of an intermediate row from which the water flows upwardly through a plurality of successive rows, connections from the tubes of said uppermost rows of the tubes of the row next below said intermediate row, the water flowing therefrom downwardly through successive rows to the lower headers at the opposite ends of the economizer.

HOWARD J. KERR. 

